System and method for providing information in a virtual world

Abstract

Providing tracking information about events in a virtual world using a computer is presented including: causing the computer to provide a re-usable code portion, the re-usable code portion configured with a unique identifier and an address of an external data storage, causing the computer to configure at least a set of events to be tracked for sending information about tracked events to the external data storage; causing the computer to associate the re-usable code portion with a virtual object to be tracked in the virtual world. In some embodiments, methods are presented wherein the causing the computer to associate the re-usable code portion with the virtual object comprises causing the computer to integrate the re-usable code portion on a source code level into the virtual object.”

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A system for providing information about events in a virtual world comprising:
 a virtual object configured for operating within the virtual world; 
 a re-usable code portion having a unique identifier, the re-usable code portion configured for tracking the events corresponding with the virtual object, wherein the tracking corresponds with the information; and wherein the re-usable code portion is associated with a virtual object to be tracked in the virtual world either by attaching the re-usable code portion to the virtual object or by attaching the re-usable code portion to the virtual object; 
 an external data storage for receiving the information. 
 
     
     
       2. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the re-usable code portion is associated with the virtual object in a manner selected from the group consisting of: integrating the re-usable code portion at a source code level with the virtual object, and attaching the re-usable code portion with virtual object. 
     
     
       3. The system of  claim 2 , wherein the re-usable code portion comprises:
 first interface for collecting usage information about events relating to the virtual object; 
 a second interface for periodically collecting spatial information based on a configurable tracking frequency; and 
 a third interface for providing the information to the external data storage, wherein the information includes usage information and spatial information. 
 
     
     
       4. The system of one of the  claim 1 , wherein the external storage is coupled with a tracking system, the tracking system comprising a server and a tracking subsystem. 
     
     
       5. The system of  claim 4 , wherein the tracking subsystem comprises an integrated tracking servlet for finding the information in a request from the server and a tracking data handler for unpacking the information and storing the information into the external data storage. 
     
     
       6. The system of  claim 4 , wherein the tracking subsystem comprises a tracking monitor for aggregating the information. 
     
     
       7. The system of  claim 4 , wherein the re-usable code portion is further configured for providing the unique identifier to the tracking subsystem. 
     
     
       8. The system of  claim 1 , further comprising a tracking data visualizer for projecting the information back into the virtual world. 
     
     
       9. The system of  claim 1 , further comprising an external browser unit coupled with the tracking system for accessing the information. 
     
     
       10. A computer program product for providing tracking information about events in a virtual world, the computer program comprising:
 first programmatic instructions for providing a re-usable code portion, the re-usable code portion configured with a unique identifier and an address of an external data storage; 
 second programmatic instructions for configuring at least a set of events to be tracked for sending information about tracked events to the external data storage; 
 third programmatic instructions for associating the re-usable code portion with a virtual object to be tracked in the virtual world wherein the third programmatic instructions for associating the re-usable code portion with the virtual object comprise either fourth programmatic instructions for causing the computer to attach the re-usable code portion to the virtual object or fifth programmatic instructions for causing the computer to attach the reusable code portion to the virtual object. 
 
     
     
       11. A method for providing tracking information about events in a virtual world using a computer comprising:
 causing the computer to provide a re-usable code portion, the re-usable code portion configured with a unique identifier and an address of an external data storage; 
 causing the computer to configure at least a set of events to be tracked for sending information about tracked events to the external data storage; 
 causing the computer to associate the re-usable code portion with a virtual object to be tracked in the virtual world wherein the causing the computer to associate the re-usable code portion with the virtual object comprises either causing the computer to attach the re-usable code portion to the virtual object. 
 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 11 , wherein the re-usable code portion is further configured with a first interface for causing the computer to collect usage information about events relating to the virtual object. 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 12 , wherein the first interface is configured for causing the computer to collect usage information selected from the group consisting of: a definition of events information from the virtual object and a receipt information from the virtual object. 
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 13 , wherein the re-usable code portion is further configured with a second interface for periodically causing the computer to collect spatial information based on a configurable tracking frequency. 
     
     
       15. The method of  claim 14 , wherein the re-usable code portion is further configured with a third interface for causing the computer to provide the information to the external data storage, wherein the information includes usage information and spatial information. 
     
     
       16. The method of  claim 15 , wherein the third interface supports an http protocol. 
     
     
       17. The method of  claim 11 , wherein the re-usable code portion is configured for causing the computer to track the information in a manner selected from the group consisting of: tracking periodically, tracking on request, and tracking as triggered. 
     
     
       18. The method of  claim 11 , wherein the unique identifier is generated by an identifier-generation algorithm, wherein the identifier-generation algorithm utilizes a concatenation of a unique identification of an executing avatar, a current virtual world time, and a random integer number in generating the unique identifier. 
     
     
       19. The method of  claim 18 , wherein the identifier-generation algorithm further causing the computer to implement a wait state after generating the unique identifier before a new unique identifier can be generated. 
     
     
       20. The method of  claim 11 , wherein the re-usable code portion is further configured to provide a definition of at least one condition corresponding with when information should be provided to the external data storage. 
     
     
       21. The method of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 causing the computer to retrieve a portion of the information from the external data storage; and 
 causing the computer to project the information into to the virtual world related to the virtual object.